Wrinkles, particularly the ones known as crow’s feet, might serve as early indicators of a person’s potential risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease in the future.

A Chinese research team discovered that individuals who appear older than their actual age have a more than 60% increased likelihood of being diagnosed with dementia over a 12-year period. This conclusion holds true even after considering various health and lifestyle factors, affecting around 7 million Americans.

In a related study published within the same report, researchers noted that those with a significant number of crow’s feet, or wrinkles around the eyes, were over twice as likely to exhibit measurable cognitive decline compared to individuals with fewer such wrinkles.

The notion that aging and wrinkles alone contribute to dementia risk might be rooted in what scientists describe as Common Pathogenic Mechanisms. This theory suggests that facial aging visibly represents the internal biological age of the body and its vulnerability to age-associated diseases, including those impacting the brain.

Appearing older than one’s chronological age involves more than just superficial wrinkles or sunspots. It serves as an outward sign of one’s underlying systemic biological age, which may surpass their chronological age.

Pronounced crow’s feet are particularly significant as biomarkers because they indicate accumulated environmental damage. Extensive sun exposure results in systemic oxidative stress and inflammation, both of which are crucial factors also linked to the aging of the brain.

Crow’s feet also visually represent the skin’s biological resilience, or lack thereof. If this thin, vulnerable area shows advanced aging, it may signal that the body’s repair mechanisms, such as collagen production and antioxidant defenses, are struggling system-wide, including in the brain.

The authors concluded: ‘Facial age (both subjective/perceived and objective) could serve as an indicator and applied into screening strategies for identifying and treating risk population of cognitive decline or dementia in early intervention for older adults.’

A major study has found that people who appear older than their actual age face a more than 60 percent greater risk of developing dementia over a 12-year period (stock)

The researchers conducted two distinct studies to build a compelling case. This dual approach was designed to find an initial signal and then validate it, making their conclusion much stronger. 

For the first study included in the report, published in the journal Alzheimer’s Research & Therapy, researchers used health data of more than 195,000 Brits 60 and up as part of the UK Biobank Study over 12 years on average.

In the first of two studies, participants in the UK answered the survey question: ‘Do people say that you look younger than you are, older than you are, or about your age?’

After accounting for factors like age, health and lifestyle, they found those who reported looking older had a 61 percent higher risk of dementia compared to those who reported looking younger. 

The link between looking older according to what other people thought and a higher dementia risk was not the same for everyone. 

The connection was strongest in three specific groups: people with obesity, people who spent more time outside during the summer and people who had a higher genetic risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. 

The risk was elevated across different types of dementia, most notably for vascular dementia, which saw a 55 percent higher risk, as well as unspecified dementia, which saw a 74 percent increased risk. 

The risk of Alzheimer’s and perceived aging, or what other people say about them, was present, though not very strong. 

Jana Nelson was 50 when diagnosed with early onset dementia, following severe personality changes and a sharp cognitive decline that left her unable to solve simple math problems or name colors

The connection between looking older than one’s chronological age and having an increased risk for dementia and cognitive impairment held true for most people, regardless of their sex, education or many other health factors. 

Those perceived as older by others were more likely to be smokers, men and physically inactive. They also showed higher rates of depressive symptoms and other health conditions than those who felt they looked younger. 

The study also tested participants’ current thinking skills and found that those who reported looking older tended to perform worse. 

They scored lower on tests of processing speed and executive function and had slower reaction times.

In the second study published in the same report, researchers took a different approach. It was conducted in a completely separate study population of around 600 older adults in China. 

They showed photographs of participants to a panel of 50 independent assessors who were asked to guess each person’s age. 

Analyzing this data, they found that for every year older a person was judged to look compared to their real age, their odds of having measurable cognitive impairment increased by 10 percent.

In addition to having assessors guess ages from photos, the researchers used specialized imaging to objectively count and measure wrinkles, particularly crow’s feet around the eyes. 

Rebecca Luna’s (pictured here) early-onset Alzheimer’s symptoms appeared in her late 40s. She would black out mid-conversation, lose her keys and leave the stove before returning to find her kitchen full of smoke

The scan shows a brain afflicted with Alzheimer’s. The front of the brain is at top in this view from below. The progression of this degenerative disease has caused atrophy in both halves of the brain, but especially at upper right and upper left (lighter brown areas). The ventricles (center, white) have also been affected and are dilated from their normal size 

First, they counted the total number of wrinkles above the cheeks and around the eyes. 

Then, they performed the Line Wrinkle Contrast, which measures the visibility or prominence of the wrinkles by analyzing how much they stand out from the surrounding skin.

Of all the measurements taken, the parameters for crow’s feet wrinkles, specifically the total number and contrast, showed the strongest and most significant association with cognitive impairment. 

Measurements from the cheek area and other skin metrics, like hydration and elasticity, did not show as strong a link.

The aging process causes a cascade of physiological effects beyond neurological ones. 

Cardiovascular disorders, including heart attack and high blood pressure, type two diabetes, osteoarthritis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and many types of cancers share common underlying drivers, including chronic inflammation and cellular aging. 

Chronic diseases, as well as accumulated stress, DNA damage, inflammation and hormonal changes, can all be seen on a person’s face, they concluded.

Chronic inflammation plays a leading role in the pathology of dementia. It drives neuronal damage, accelerates brain aging and is a common thread linking many dementia risk factors. 

This study’s findings suggest that facial aging may be a visible sign of this same systemic inflammatory process.